Rise of the Hagsfiends
by SwiftehTheKitty
Summary: It is the time of King Hoole and all was well before the ember was retrieved. Owls prepare for war as the ordinary Guardians step up to take part in this fight.   First LOTG story, review please! Contains OC's :3  Rated for fight scenes in future chapters
1. Chapter 1

**This is just basically another Guardians of Ga'Hoole Fanfic. This story takes place when Hoole is king, (in the middle of book 11 if you want to fully understand the story) I use characters in the book and some of my OC's, this is one of my first stories so it might me kinda…. Ehh… yeah… Anywayyyy… Enjoy! My OC's are based off of some people I know. (I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole)**

_**Prologue/Introduction**_

The clear, smooth voice of a spotted owl spoke up. "You have all trained valiantly under our wings, and we have decided that it is time for you to become full guardians of this tree." The dark amber eyes of the owl paused for a minute as the familiar words began to return to him. "Promise me – no, promise the tree that you will be the best guardian you can to help all of owlkind."

"Yes King Hoole!" Three owls hooted in unison, pride flowing from their feathers and filling the hollow.

"I am your equal, and you will refer to me as such, now say the oath," the spotted owl named Hoole said firmly. The young king's feathers swelled in irritation, too many individuals never let him forget about the endless responsibility he carried around with him each day. All of Hoole's agitation suddenly disappeared as he heard the soon-to-be guardians say their final vows.

" _I am a Guardian of Ga'Hoole. From this night on, I dedicate my life to the protection of owlkind. I shall not swerve in my duty. I shall support my brother and sister Guardians in times of battle as well as in times of peace. I am the eyes in the night, the silence within the wind. I am the talons through the fire, the shield that guards the innocent. I shall seek to wear no crown, nor win any glory. And all these things I do swear upon my honor as a Guardian of Ga'Hoole until my days on this Earth cease to be. This is my vow. This is my life. By Glaux I do swear."_

A coal-stained spotted owl flew into the hollow where the ceremony was taking place. He was much older than Hoole and some of his feathers were permanently stained with ashes of countless years in colliering. He looked at each of the three owls, it was obvious by the way looked at the three young owls that would be taking part in the ceremony. There was some strange air of authority surrounding this owl, but no one could identify the cause of it. "Rui, step forward," he hooted.

Upon the spotted owl's call a fairly small barn owl stepped forward. The brown feathers that covered her whole back were a beautiful tawny, dotted by slightly lighter tinted feathers. Her familiar heart-shaped face was a dusty white which covered the whole underside of her body.

Rui blinked her dark eyes, it was the final phase of her guardian ceremony and she was picked first! She was filled with so much excitement she felt as if it couldn't be contained under all of her feathers.

"Rui, you have shown exceptional promise in the art of battle. You have mastered the variety of weapons we have at the Great Tree, and we also honor your skills in blacksmithing, may you continue to learn under our wings." As the barn owl looked up her eyes met the coal stained spotted owl's eyes.

"You have my thanks, Grank," Rui replied. With a small, formal nod the barn owl stepped back in line. Her two friends had yet to be acknowledged for their skills that they have developed in the chaws they were placed in.

"Sol, step forward," Grank hooted, continuing on. The spotted owl was well aware of Hoole watch with unblinking eyes. This was the first time the Great Tree had a ceremony like this, and if all went well then it would be a continued procedure for all other owls becoming guardians.

A snowy owl stepped forward, his chest puffed out in pride. Sol was an unusual snowy, the only dark gray spots he had was located on the tip of his flight feathers and his tail. His beak was almost completely covered by the soft pure white feathers of his face. His bright yellow eyes seemed to glow brighter than the small fires that kept the room well lit.

"Sol, you have made your talent for navigation known. Many of the other owls envy your tracking skills, but there is always room to improve, remember that." The words sent pride flowing through the large snowy. He stepped back in line as he waited for his friend to receive his friend to receive his praise.

"Gulliver, step forward," Grank said after taking a few deep breaths.

A great horned owl with fairly large ear tufts stepped forward, yellow eyes blinking with excitement. He had many different shades and colors of brown splashed on his feathers, merging ever so slightly. There were dark brown lines that made a half circle around each of his eyes, creating a small mask. Both Gulliver and Sol were huge compared to Rui, but they could never match her when it came to a fight. They both didn't even want to challenge her bare talons because they knew of their friend's skill as well as their own.

"The Tree honors your skills in tracking, may you pass you skills on to the other owlets that join the search and rescue chaw."

Gulliver let a hoot of triumph as he joined his friends back in line, they were full guardians at last!

It was finally time for Hoole to speak again, "as full Guardians of Ga'Hoole you will be sent out on missions. Since you owls have shown the most promise and vary in chaws you will be allowed to attend the parliament meetings," Hoole said.

Rui almost gasped in surprise, _we have just become full Guardians and we were invited to a meeting? This must be very important. _She wanted to say her thoughts out loud, but they didn't seem to come.

Hoole seemed to answer each one of Rui's questions as soon as she thought of them. "The meeting will be at tween time, we have some urgent things to talk about. Hagsfiends have slowly been gaining power and war is guaranteed to break out, we need to be prepared. They must not get the ember," he hooted with great agitation. "I will let the other members of the parliament know about the meeting." With his last words the troubled king spread his wings and launched himself into the air by beating his wings a few times.

As Hoole flew away Rui assumed that he was leaving for the purpose he had just explained. She turned to her best friends, "I can't believe our luck," she began. Her face showed sheer joy at the thought of being part of the parliament – sharing her own opinion in the meetings. "Hoole has chosen us!" The small barn owl hopped up and down flapping her wings so that she could get a good laugh from her friends, Sol, and Gulliver.

Laughter filled the hollow as the three friends spoke about the good times they had as they trained in their chaws. "It's not fair, Rui, you were double chawed," Sol joked giving the smaller owl a small bump with his wing. Due to her size Rui stumbled a few inches, trying to regain her balance. Her efforts failed and she found herself on the floor of the hollow chest to the ground and wings outstretched to their full length.

The room burst out in laughter, even Grank began to churr with laughter. _You can always count on the young'uns to give you a good laugh,_ the old collier thought as he watched the new Guardians reminisce. The spotted owl decided to let Sol, Rui, and Gulliver have a moment of peace before they realized the weight each of them carried. With a final sigh he left, flying through the same passage Hoole had taken, _the war is coming, I can feel it in my gizzard,_ Grank thought.

The three young Guardians laughed and gossiped till dawn, only then did they notice time had passed so quickly. It seemed as if hours had been heartbeats. "We better go get some sleep, we need all of our strength tomorrow," she told her friends. Her talons clicked as she walked across the room where they had been made Guardians – headed to her hollow. Soon enough the small barn owl found herself in her hollow, settling down in her nest of rabbit's ear moss.

As soon as she closed her eyes sleep seemed to consume her, dragging her into the world of dreams.

**Is this okay for my first Guardians of Ga'Hoole story? Well this is just the opening/intro so I could introduce my main OC's. The real story begins in the next chapter, yaaaay for action and adventure. Should I add romance in the story? Anywayyyy review! :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the review DemonHunter1992 and Cynder fan or any other person who has reviewed my story, it means a lot. Well this is the first chapter of my story. Hope you like it! :3 I forgot to say that this story goes in a totally different direction than the actual story in the books. There will be romance in later chapters.**

**Chapter 1 – The Plan **

Rui opened her eyes as the last as the last drop of sunlight began to leave the Great Tree. The first and only thing that the young Guardian could think of was the parliament meeting that would take place at the base of the tree. She hopped out of her nest and gave her feathers a quick shake to remove the extra bits of moss that clung to her feathers.

The barn owl walked outside of her hollow. She had decided that she would fly straight to the meeting and meet her friends Sol and Gulliver there. She spread her wings and took to the skies, easily flying out of the tree for a quick flight to stretch her wings. The Sea of S'yrthghar gently lapped at the shore of the island where the Great Tree grew. Even the thermal drafts showed good conditions for a peaceful and undisturbed flight.

Rui decided that she should return to the tree for the parliament meeting, it would begin soon. With a small back flip the barn owl flew back to the tree. Instead of returning to her hollow she continued until she reached a crevice in the tree which was used as an alternate route to the parliament hollow.

She squeezed through the crack in the tree, and followed the tunnel which gradually widened to form the room used to discuss important news. She saw many fly to their proper places, ready for the grave news. Rui perched on a small branch, ready to speak of war strategies or any other thing that Hoole could possible bring up.

"I am sorry I called this meeting with little notice, we must speak now. As you all know Hagsfiends have been growing in both strength and numbers. War is guaranteed to break out so we must be prepared for the worst," Hoole hooted, his voice echoing off the walls of the hollow.

"Yes, war is guaranteed to break out, but think, Hoole. No Hagsfiend would attack the Great Tree, our island is bordered with salt water," a spotted owl put in.

Rui noticed the spotted owl who had spoken was none other than Strix Strumajen, a very knowledgeable owl who lived in the Great Tree. "If I may speak, I have an idea," Rui said quietly, not knowing if the other owls of the parliament would care about her input.

"Speak," Hoole encouraged. The young king was glad that Rui was already participating in the meetings even if it was her first time.

"I suggest we devise a plan where several chaws divide into specialized groups in preparation for the war. If worst comes to worst then we would have an organized army of troops who can support each other in battle," the young barn owl explained her plan. As she went on her voice gained clarity and confidence. "We could also send out some owls that can fly through storms with ease as slipgizzles. They can report every so often of the location of the Hagsfiends."

There was a ripple of movement among the owls that perched in different areas of the hollow as they whispered their approval to each other. Even Sol and Gulliver who perched near Rui's starboard wing seemed to be thinking about all of the possible advantages from her plan. Grank, Theo, and, Phineas all looked at Hoole, they knew that it was his decision that mattered the most, if he didn't approve of it then it meant nothing.

The young king thought for a while, eyes closed. After a while of thinking he slowly began to nod, "I agree with you, Rui." Hoole turned so that he could face every owl who was taking part in the parliament meeting, "We will divide into different divisions. Some will specialize in ice weapons, others with close combat battle claws. Lastly, there will be a squad of medics who will treat the wounded on the battlefield. Any questions?" Every other owl either shook their head or remained silent.

Hoole considered the silence to be a form of agreement so he continued on without hesitation. "Grank, you may speak now," the king fell silent. He nodded to his mentor giving him the chance to share what he had too.

"I would like to suggest a new way of fighting. Many of you fight with ice swords and battle claws, maybe even bare taloned," when Grank said those words he rested his eyes on Rui and her friends. "I think the coals we retrieve and store in forges can be used for more than plan Blacksmithing. We can use coals as a projectile as well as a source to light branches and twigs." If Hagsfiends were nonexistent than Grank would have never thought of such a use for the coals, let alone share it with the parliament.

"From now on all owls will train with one of the many weapons we have unless they are a medic. Rui, you and Lord Rathnik will be responsible for training everyone for any type of battle. I will gather up some Guardians who know some of the medicinal uses for the herbs that we can find in this island. If anyone must say something say it now – if not then this meeting is adjourned." Hoole's last words slightly louder than usual, but the reason was unknown to both Rui and the rest of the parliament.

When the meeting ended eight owls remained, they huddled together to talking about their tasks with more privacy. Rui was by Lord Rathnik, engraving the designated areas where each weapon group would train on a map of the Great Tree which was printed on a rabbit's hide. The outcome consisted of four weapon groups, battle claws, ice weapons, coal throwing, and flame fighting.

Sol and Gulliver were with Phineas discussing the areas where they have seen herbs that may have some sort of medicinal use. They were organizing a party of owls to fetch the supplies so they could be properly tested, and if they yielded positive results then it would be kept as a useful healing item.

Theo, Grank, and Hoole soon joined in with Rui and Lord Rathnik, overlooking the plans. "Let me explain this," Lord Rathnik said, using his longest talon to point to the marks they made on the rabbit's hide. "The coal throwers will train above the tree. First they will start off with throwing pebbles and milkberries at the targets we set up. Eventually they will begin to train with the burning coals from the forge and our best colliers will fly below them just in case something goes wrong and the targets are not hit." The old owl slid his talon down the rabbit's hide, which made a small scraping noise. Lord Rathnik's talon stopped at the base of the tree "The owls that are bare taloned or are training with burning braches will practice here. We have decided that these owls will need to be used to close combat fighting."

"If I may interject," Hoole said before Lord Rathnik could continue.

"Yes?" the old, war-beaten owl asked.

"After hearing your plans I think it would help if we could use some of your trainees for medical drills."

"Ah, of course," he replied, nodding before continuing showing his plans. The last area Rathnik pointed out with his talons was marked with a large 'X,' representing the area that would be used for battle claw and ice weapon training. "This is where most of the training will take place; they will practice using the variety of weapons we have stored away. Theo, how is the production of battle claws?"

"There is a lot being produced since we have gathered so much rouge smiths from Beyond the Beyond," the great horned owl hooted, a hint of distress merging with his voice. _The Battle claws have finally found a purpose, but why did I create such a thing? _Theo asked himself as he gave the report.

"Round up the owls," Grank finally spoke, immediately silencing any other thoughts the other owls could think of. "All Guardians will have to participate in at least three training secessions, it is up to them to choose if they would like to fight or heal."

Sol, Gulliver, and Phineas finally regrouped with the other owls, ready to explain the locations of certain plants and useful materials. "Hoole, we have come up with several different locations where we should send a small patrol to gather supplies," Phineas said, jumping into the conversation. "We have predicted that the Shadow Forest would provide a good amount of supplies that the medical team could experiment with."

"Thank you. You all must be exhausted from this meeting, go rest and get something to eat; training will begin as soon as you are all ready. Rathnik, Rui, I trust that you two will be good advisors for the battle training. Sol, Gulliver, Phineas, you will pass on this information to other owls and join in the battle training." The spots that dotted Hoole's back seemed to rifle under all of the stress of planning and being king. Letting out one final sigh he blinked a few times as he began to head for the exit. _I wish I was just an ordinary owl, who was not destined to become king. _He flew off into the night; most likely returning to his hollow to check on the ember and try and improve the battle plans.

"Rui, lets meet on the western side of the tree when you are finished with resting," Lord Rathnik hooted gently before flying off as well.

Everyone else who had taken part in the smaller 'parliament' meeting seemed to leave in a hurry, leaving Rui, Sol, and Gulliver alone once again. "We are very proud, Rui," Gulliver hooted loudly. The small barn owl beamed at her success, her eyes seemed to brighten and she lost all of her agitation.

"Don't worry, we can train together," Rui reassured, delighted by her friend's kindness. The three young Guardians walked outside of the parliament hollow, observing the darkening sky together.

"I'll go catch us something to eat, you two can begin the training," Gulliver said, flying off. It didn't take long for the great horned owl to disappear into the night in search of prey.

Sol and Rui were left together, sitting outside of the parliament hollow. "Well I guess we have a head start," Sol hooted, shrugging his wings and breaking the silence. "I don't think Lord Rathnik would be ready for a while… So, are you willing to teach me some battle moves?" he asked, hopeful.

"Sure, I'll teach you how to use an ice scimitar," Rui volunteered. She bumped Sol with her port wing like he had done the night before when they had just become Guardians. Of course the huge snowy was not affected by the blow, but it seemed to lighten the mood. "Let's go!" The barn owl's call filled the night as she spread her wings to head for the weapon storage. It didn't take long for her friend to follow suit and take to the skies.

**I am a tad bit disappointed in this chapter, nothing interesting really happened :/ Word of advice, don't try and type fanfictions while playing halo reach online xD **

**I promise the story will get better, but it might take a while since I come up with the scenes on the spot. Some parts will be better than others :3**


	3. Chapter 3

**D: School is really killing my writing time as well as my xbox and RPG time Dx **

**Most of the Updates will be on the weekends; anywayssss I'll shut up now xD BTW this chapter would have been out earlier if Hawaii's power wasn't cut off D:**

**Chapter 3 – Hateful Methods**

"You fool! Concentrate harder; I know you can do better than that!" A pitch black bird criticized. She looked like a mixture between an owl and a crow, something that would shock any bird if they didn't know what a 'Hagsfiend' was. Her beady black eyes burned with rage as she threatened to cuff the owl beside her with her sturdy wing.

"Sorry! I'll try harder aunt Kreeth," a great gray owl murmured, guilt clouding her vision. She closed her eyes and pictured the graceful body of a spotted owl. She concentrated on the spots that dotted on the owl's back and how they seem to dance when wind brushes though their feathers. She started with the head of the spotted owl she pictured. Slowly the great gray owl's feathers changed from a silvery-gray to the dark brown of a spotted owl. The familiar splashes of color appeared on her back began to appear after a few more moments of waiting. The great gray owl was now fully transformed into a perfect spotted owl from head to talon.

"Excellent, Lutta. You are improving on your transformations, but you need to work on speed. Keep practicing and you will be able to change in a few heartbeats," Kreeth suggested bluntly. She was tired of training her creation, but the changeling was slowly becoming more skilled at picturing the owls she transformed into. _Soon the ember will be mine,_ the Hagsfiend thought – greed clouding her judgment. _Of course Lutta will be rewarded as well, _letting out an exhausted sigh.

Lutta, now a barn owl lifted her head, her facial disk adjusting, allowing her to listen to the faintest whisper. "Aunt Kreeth," she hooted.

"What is it _now?"_ there seemed to be a hiss emerging from the Hagsfiend's beak as she said the words. Lutta didn't want to disturb her aunt or do anything to make her mood plummet, but she knew that this was important.

"I hear an owl flying by," she replied, listening to the almost silent beat of it's wings in the wind.

"_What?_" Kreeth cawed, lifting her wings in disbelief. She watched as Lutta nodded. _She does seem very sure of herself… And she is a barn owl at the moment – they are known for their superior hearing… _"Show me this 'owl,'" Kreeth said.

Lutta spun around and spread her wings, flying into the night. The snow made it hard to identify things, due to the fact that everything looked the same. "There!" she whispered to her aunt. She used her starboard wing to point at the owl's glowing yellow eyes. "He is a snowy."

"I have eyes!" Kreeth snapped; making a noise that was a cross between a crow's caw and an owl's hoot.

The sudden noise caused the snowy owl to turn around and look at his pursuers. He was an average sized snowy with dark gray spots covering his whole body like a cape. Even his flight feathers were covered in the dark spots; the only place that was left unmarked by the spots was his face. "Who are you?" the owl asked suspiciously, looking at Lutta. Suddenly he realized that the owl next to Lutta was not an owl at all, but a Hagsfiend. "H-Hagsfiend!" He screeched as he tried to turn around to run.

Kreeth surged forward, a yellow light poured from her eyes and she cast her fyngrot on the snowy. To the Hagsfiend's dismay they were close to the ground.

The snowy owl's wings began to fail him and they soon became stiff from the spell casted on him. He went yeep and plummeted toward the ground. A pillow of snow seemed to protect him as he hit the ground. Although uninjured he was frightened from the sudden events and remained on the ground, unmoving.

Lutta returned to her original Hagsfiend form and landed near the traumatized owl, observing him closely with her beady black eyes. "Aunt Kreeth, what shall we do with him?" she asked, tipping her head to one side.

"I say we kill him; his gizzard and eyes would be useful," Kreeth replied, a smirk appeared across her beak and her eyes brightened. The huge Hagsfiend was twice the size of the snowy owl she now approached. Kreeth lifted a claw; her talons were sharp and deadly. She reached forward to pluck the owl's eye from the frightened owls head, but Lutta jumped in.

"Aunt Kreeth, I have a plan," Lutta hooted. The changeling poked her aunt with her beak, trying to get her attention.

"What is it!" The Hagsfiend practically roared, whipping around to face her creation. Her talons returned to the icy ground, her black eyes blazing. She raised her wings in a sign of aggression and rage.

Lutta ignored the angry Hagsfiend and swiveled her head so that she could face the frightened snowy. "Hey, what is your name?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at the strange owl.

"J-Jel!" The snowy screeched, still in a state of shock. He pressed against the chunk of ice that he had collided with when Kreeth had cast her fyngrot. His name got a small nod of acknowledgement from Lutta as he blinked in confusion. It took a while, but Jel managed to regain his confidence and move his body; Kreeth seemed to notice this.

The powerful Hagsfiend turned back to the snowy owl, but when that happened he flapped his wings in a feathered frenzy. Jel tried to strike the two Hagsfiends with his sharp talons as he rushed forward. He felt a rush of satisfaction as his talons slid past Kreeth's feathers and dug into her back. Jel was rewarded with a pained caw from the crow-owl.

Lutta's eye stretched in amazement, she hadn't expected the strange snowy to do _that _to her aunt. The second Hagsfiend rushed in to help – talons before her body. She managed to run her talons down the snowy's port wing, but it was a very light wound compared to what he had done to Kreeth. Jel rounded on Lutta, lashing out with his talons. The two birds fought with each other as the old Hagsfiend recovered from the shock of the blow she had received.

"You fool!" Kreeth screeched as she attempted to jump into the skirmish between Lutta and Jel. Although Hagsfiends are about twice the size of a great gray they are still not invincible. Kreeth fell while she charged the two other birds and landed face-first in the snow.

Jel broke away from Lutta, covered in a multitude of scratches and wounds. He flew away as fast as he could; beating his wings till even though they burned with exhaustion. The snowy knew that he couldn't stop or he would parish like many other owls probably did under the Hagsfiend's talons. _I can't stop, not until I reach my destination,_ Jel thought over and over, willing himself to continue.

Hours of flying had taken its toll on the snowy. His flight was unsteady and some of his feathers were torn and ragged. _At last… _ Jel thought as he saw the Great Ga'Hoole tree peak over the horizon. The sight gave his wings the temporary strength he needed.

Once over the island the tree was rooted in Jel's strength began to ebb once again. He landed roughly in a hollow, nearly unconscious. _Safe…_ He thought as everything fell into an everlasting darkness.

Rui was fetching the ice scimitar that she would be using to train her friend, Sol. As she turned around with her ice weapons in claws she saw a strange, ragged owl. It was a snowy, but he looked nothing like Sol. _Strange…_ Rui thought as she dropped the scimitars and hopped over to the downed owl. Names of the owls of the Great Tree played through her head; she could not recognize this owl, due to his ragged feathers and horrible shape.

The barn owl reached forward and slowly turned the snowy around to see his face – the one thing that helped her recognize all of her friends. Suddenly it hit her, she _did_ know this snowy. The small barn owl wilfed to half her original size and her eyes seemed to be two dark moons. Horror seized Rui as she remembered him, _it can't be! It just can't!_ she thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay! School ends in about 10 days, so yay for that. I said I would add romance, but I am having problems picking out couples or lovers in my story. If you put your favorite/wanted couple in a review I might write about them in my story! :3 (I'll accept owl of different species; but no suggesting Jel, I already have something planned out for him.)**

**GoldenShade, it's actually pretty easy to play Halo and write. X3 General grade four FTW!**

**Chapter 4 – The Blade and the Herb**

Rui began to panic; she beat her wings furiously as she tried to fan Jel. Barely any wind was generated by her tiny wings, which frustrated her. Nothing seemed to be working. The small barn owl let out an ear piercing shriek which echoed throughout the hollows and rooms in the great tree. _Come quickly!_ She pleaded as she still tried to fan her friend.

Soon Sol was at the entrance of the weapon room staring at Rui with wide eyes. "What was the call for?" He asked. It didn't take long for the Sol to notice the other snowy owl under his friend's tiny wings. The large snowy took Rui's place above Jel and began to fan him. "I'll watch him for now, go get help!" To his dismay the barn owl didn't move when she returned to the ground. "You are faster and more nimble, now go!"

Rui suddenly snapped back to reality and nodded, shooting one final glance at the downed owl. Without looking back she leapt from the high hollow, catching the wind with her wings. "Downed owl!" She screeched as she pelted past the gigantic branches of the Great Ga'Hoole tree. Many owls stuck their head out of their hollows; some even had mice or rabbits in their talons. "Weapon storage, go quickly!"

Owls of all species dropped their prey and took to the skies, quickly heading to the weapon or medical storage. Rui folded her wings against her sides and turned her beak so that it faced the Sea of S'yrthghar. As the barn owl plummeted down toward the ocean she allowed her third eyelid to slide into place to protect her. Rui waited until she was dangerously close to the roaring waters of the ocean. She spread her wings in the last few seconds, barely avoiding the waters.

"H-Hoole, thank Glaux your here!" Rui gasped as she barged into his hollow.

The young king was startled by the sudden noise. He was staring at the flames of the ember when Rui entered. He hopped down from his perch and walked over to the panicked barn owl. "What is going on?" he asked; patting her back with his wing to calm her down.

"J-Jel is wounded. The medical patrol didn't leave yet so we are using what little we have on him." Rui fought for air as the words poured out of her beak.

Hoole didn't hesitate a heartbeat longer; he let his gizzard guide him as he issued orders. "Rui, calm down, everything is going to be fine. Come with me and we will go visit him, the medical team will help him." He led the traumatized barn owl out of his hollow and out of the Great Tree. He spread his spotted wings and headed toward the weapon storage that was located among the top branches of the tree. Rui quickly followed suit.

There were many owls cluttered around the Jel. Sol was replaced by Grank as the medical owls began to shoo away the spectators. "Is he going to be alright?" a voice came from behind Rui and Hoole as they entered.

The two owls turned around at the same time. They both saw the great horned owl who had invented battle claws, Theo. "I hope so," Rui replied solemnly.

"I don't want to lose a valuable student," he hooted. "I know you were really close to him," Theo added. To lighten the mood he did what every other owl often did. He bumped her with his wing and sent her stumbling away.

Rui crashed into Hoole as she tried to regain her balance. Both barn and spotted owls landed on their tail feathers when they hit the floor of the hollow. The three owls let out small churrs of laughter; temporarily forgetting about the downed snowy. As the two owls got back onto their talons Hoole thought of an idea that could distract Rui from her injured friend.

"Rui, I would like to have a word with Jel when he wakes, so I will be staying here. Could you begin the training we have scheduled? I know Jel will be alright, he is strong." The spotted owl addressed the small barn owl with such confidence that she couldn't refuse.

"Yes your majesty," Rui answered as she dipped her head to her king.

The young king let out a huge sigh that seemed to ruffle every spot he had on his feathers. "What did I say about calling me such names?" He asked; slightly annoyed. Even though there was a hint of irritation in his words Hoole could not help but feel sympathetic. He had heard stories of Rui and Jel being friend ever since they were fledglings.

"S-sorry…" Rui mumbled, turning around to round up the trainees. She spread her wings and flew off in search of lord Rathnik – the other battle advisor.

"Theo, could I ask you to do something for me?" Hoole whispered to the great horned owl when Rui was out of earshot.

"Of course, Hoole, if you need something all you have to do is ask." Theo replied with a understanding hoot.

"I need you to watch over Rui. I do not doubt her abilities to train the young'uns, but I feel like she needs someone besides Sol and Gulliver to comfort her. I know those three are close, but they can't always rely on each other for things like this." Hoole had trouble saying the final part of his request; it was so much for Theo to do. The words were trapped in his beak, trying to escape. "I need you to participate in the training… I know that you despise fighting, but we need her to be in full spirits for this war." The young king choked out the words, _would Theo accept?_ He saw the blacksmith like a brother, and he would understand completely if he rejected his request.

Theo hesitated; Hoole was right about his hate for fighting. "I'll do it," he answered, voice shaking. "Take care of Jel," the great horned owl said before spreading his wings to take the flight path Rui had taken.

Lord Rathnik was perched on a wide branch right next to Rui. The snowy towered over the small barn owl, but he knew better than to underestimate her size. Hundreds of Guardians and trainees were gathered on the island, ready to receive instructions from their trainers. They all waited, eager to learn how to ice weapons as well as battle claws.

Rui remembered what she had planned with Lord Rathnik, _I train the battle claw and close combat division. Then, we switch off and I shall train the ice weapon division… _

It didn't take long for the owls to divide themselves between battle claws and ice weapons. When Rui had at least half of her training squad's eyes on her she began. "I will be teaching you about combat with both battle claws and close combat fighting, now listen up!"

Rui had told her squad everything she knew about fighting. Now it was time to show the owls how to fight using the techniques she had explained. "Sol and Gulliver, I need you for this fight." The barn owl almost let out a screech of laughter when she saw her two best friends wilf ever so slightly. "You two, go grab a pair of battle claws, I will be your opponent." The great horned and the snowy did as they were told and each picked out an exceptional set of battle claws.

A huge circle was formed around the three owls, Rui on one end, and Sol and Gulliver on the other. The other owls towered over the barn owl. They talons were clad with sharp metal claws that were securely fastened using different materials. The two owls faced Rui – who was bare taloned. Her wings were lifted, ready to jet up into the sky when the battle started.

Theo decided to wait before approaching Rui. After all, he was going to train with her later. The great horned owl watched the three owls – his interest increased as time passed. "Theo, could you announce the start and finish of the battle?" asked the small barn owl. Theo let out a hoot of acknowledgement and studied the three owls.

"Go!" Shrieked the blacksmith as he lifted his great wings into the air.

As soon as Rui heard Theo's call she launched herself into the air with one simple beat of her wings. Sol and Gulliver soon followed the small barn owl, determined to try their best and win. Sol and Gulliver split from each other, fly separate ways to trap Rui. They charged battle claws before their body; ready to grab their friend.

The small barn owl foresaw the attack and dipped her port wing, allowing her to fly upside down for a second and making herself spin to avoid the attack. With several powerful beats with her she was now the attacker. Rui crashed into Sol, locking talons with him. The two owls began to descend, wings flailing. She used the snowy's larger size or her advantage by spreading her wings and lifting to the top of the talon-lock skirmish. Sol let out screeches of surprise when he realized he had been caught.

Rui tilted her wings forward and pointed her beak toward the ground. Slowly but surely, Sol began to rise above the barn owl once again. To finish off her move; Rui pulled her talons toward the ground with all of her might before allowing Sol's battle claws slip from her talons. She flew off to prepare for another attack, _this battle might actually be a challenge, _she thought cheerfully.

Sol spun out of control as he descended at rapid rate. He knew that if he couldn't get his bearings in time then he would perish.

Gulliver quickly pursued his friend to help. The great horned owl flew underneath Sol and helped the snowy regain control. Sol pushed off of Gulliver's back – careful not to hurt him with his battle claws. He hooted his thanks and the two owls faced Rui once again.

A terrified screech seemed to make every owl flinch when the sound reached their ears. Rui, Sol, and Gulliver landed next to each other; the battle completely forgotten. "That sounded like Jel!" Rui fretted, flapping her wings nervously. When she looked around Theo seemed to have been replaced by lord Rathnik.

"King Hoole wishes to speak to you three," he announced; eyes unblinking.

The three Guardians were quick to oblige. They flew up to the weapon room with the many medics as well as the spotted owl Hoole.

The young king turned to face the three owls that had just recently arrived. "Rui, I am sorry for doing this to you once again, but I need to switch your task once again." Hoole's once gentle facial expression was now serious.

"It is fine, Hoole," Rui replied, dipping her head to remove Jel from her sight. "Will Sol and Gulliver come as well?" she asked.

"Yes, Sol and Gulliver will accompany you as you search for the Glauxian brothers. The brothers study herbs, I am sure they will know of some herbs that can save Jel. Sol will navigate you to them using the stars while you protect them on their journey. Gulliver will track either of you if something unfortunate happens. This war has already taken many lives, we cannot afford to lose any more." Hoole's heart began to ache as he thought about his mother, Siv. The young king finally opened his eyes after a long while that seemed to drag on for ages. His dark amber gaze swept over each of the three. He felt guilty for constantly switching their tasks, but everything they did was to win the war.

"You will leave as soon as you are ready. I trust you…. All of you…" Hoole murmured.


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, I have now officially lost my life to Halo Reach. I just got promoted to a Field Marshall on (5/21/11) Also, I will be gone for about a week during the summer because I am going on a trip to California from the 15****th**** to like the… idk lol. Remember, reviews are always welcomed :3**

**Chapter 5 – Night Flight**

Rui, Sol, and Gulliver were almost ready to leave on their search for the Glauxian brothers. The three Guardians each wore a shiny pair of battle claws that Rui had crafted a while ago just in case a scenario like this might occur. Her battle claws were light and sharp; it helped her fly faster by cutting through the air as well as any enemy that might appear. The battle claws were not as deadly as they could be, but she preferred speed and intelligence to brute force when fighting.

Sol's battle claws were average size, but the weight was increased due to extra spines on the claws. It was excruciatingly deadly at close range – if he were to get a clear shot then his enemy would fall for sure. The huge snowy didn't mind the extra weight, since his wings were so big and powerful.

Gulliver tightened his battle claws; they were hooked and curved, perfect for an open fight. The great horned owl had practiced using his claws when his enemy had a weapon as well. He could disarm an enemy with and ice weapon with great difficultly, but he could do it nonetheless.

"Ready?" Rui asked, turning her head about 180 degrees to look behind her back. Her two friends both nodded and her head slid back into its normal position. "Sol, lead the way," she hooted before launching from the hollow.

Sol was the last owl of the group to lift off. He has closed his eyes for a few heartbeats as she recalled the way to the Glauxian brothers' retreat. With two simple beats of his wings he was airborne - flying over the vast Sea of S'yrthghar. The snowy watched as his two friends slowed down their wing beats to fall in beside him. Sol led the way with Rui at his port wing and Gulliver at his Starboard.

Looking up at the stars Sol identified the main ones and saw the path that they would take. When he opened his beak to speak Rui let out a loud high pitched hoot and signaled with her head to a breeze far port. "Thermals," she said simply.

Sol nodded; he knew that thermal winds could carry them to their destination with hardly a wing beat of effort. But, if they actually put in the effort of a normal flight they would be at the Glauxian brothers' retreat in no time at all.

The mini flock veered to the left to catch the warm breeze. It lifted them up into the air and the three owls' speed seemed to increase each time they brought their wings down. Rui was deeply disturbed, _what happens if we can't find the Glauxian brothers fast enough…?_

The group of owls had been flying for quite a while, but to them it seemed like only a few heartbeats. Gulliver looked down; the dark water of the sea seemed to get colder the more they flew. He flew past chunks of hard ice as they continued on.

"It should be much further," Sol mused when the sea finally ended. The three owls were now flying over snow covered lands that was dotted by rocks and the occasional pine tree. The snowy owl felt a strange twinge in his gizzard. He felt that they would have to fly farther than expected to find some owl who knew about the medicinal uses of herbs.

Rui's faced seemed to move as she listened for sounds that could be hidden by the roaring blizzard that they flew through. The tiny barn owl blinked; something disturbed the wind and the snowflakes and it wasn't Sol or Gulliver. By the way the wind was pushed to the side and roughly disturbed the path of the snowflakes she could tell it was a bird. _Owls never make that much noise when they fly to storms unless they are injured or tired. Unless…._

Rui's thoughts were pushed to the side as her instincts kicked in. It had taken her a few heartbeats, but the small barn owl finally caught onto what was happening without a word to or from her fellow Guardians. She tipped and changed the speed of her wings so that she would whip around to face whatever was approaching them. Just as she turned around and raised her battle claws a huge dark shape collided with her.

She was knocked back by the size and the momentum of her unknown enemy. Quickly regaining her bearings she lashed forward with her port claw; missing the base of her enemy's wing by a feather. If the black bird hadn't dipped its port wing then it might have lost a wing.

The two skirmishing birds backed away from each other and circled each other like hawks; waiting for an opportunity to strike the other. The sound Rui's battle claws make as they clashed with the unknown bird's talons alerted Sol and Gulliver and they now rushed to help Rui.

The blizzard whipped at the barn owl's eyes so she allowed her third eyelid to slide into place to protect her. It took a while, but she finally identified her enemy. "Hagsfiend!" She screeched, beak dropping his disbelief. Rui spotted a great gray owl with battle claws similar to Gulliver's flying toward both her and the hagsfiend she had just fought with.

A yellow beam of light seemed to flow from the hagsfiend's eyes and consume Sol and Gulliver – barely missing Rui. The two Guardians let out defiant screeches as they felt their wings lock in place their eyes darting around wildly. They began to plummet toward the ground, their screeches turning into that of a panicked bluebird.

Rui rushed forward, her battle claws slicing through the air and increasing her speed. To her surprise the sharp battle claws she wore struck metal; sending the "all-too-familiar" clanging noise ringing through her head. She blinked her dark eyes once and saw what had happened; the great gray had _defended_ the hagfiend.

The barn owl doubled back, confused. _Well I guess I have two enemies now…_ Rui cursed as she decided on an enemy. She dipped her starboard wind, causing her to perform a barrel roll to give her time and formulate a plan.

The hagsfiend and the great gray chased Rui without hesitation. Their talons were outstretched and ready to snatch the owl that was less than half their size. "Aunt Kreeth, surround her!" the great gray screeched as she veered to the opposite side as the hagsfiend.

"I am not an idiot, Lutta!" The hagsfiend hissed through her beak.

Rui decided to go after the hagsfiend called 'Kreeth' before attacking the great gray called 'Lutta.' She darted straight for the huge hagsfiend, but made a sharp turn and began to fly toward the stars before she rammed into her. The barn owl's small size allowed her to make such fast turns and charges with ease.

She quickly tipped her beak to the ground when she had expertly flown a curve steep above Kreeth. Rui lashed out with her battle claws a little too late to deal a fatal blow to her enemy, but she still left a small yet deep wound on her back. The small barn owl used her already stretched out battle claws and used them to grip Kreeth's talons. She was thinking of the same move she had used on Sol while they were 'practicing' their battle moves.

Kreeth let out a horrible earsplitting screech that was a cross between crow and owl. She began to desperately flap her wings, but each wing beat was in vain. The more she struggled the more Rui rose above Kreeth.

The small barn owl spread out her wings to keep herself above the hagsfiend; determined to make sure her friends could safely continue on. When the talon-locked birds were fairly close to the ground Rui began to dive again, slowly passing Kreeth. With one quick flip she flung the hagsfiend into the snow, _hard._

Without the burden of the much larger bird Rui flew close to the ground to check on Sol and Gulliver before taking on Lutta.

She spotted the two Guardians struggling to their talons. They were both in their own odd shaped hole which was created on impact. "You two okay?" she asked, well aware that the great gray was still chasing her. Both owls nodded as they shook the snow that clung to their feathers. "Start flying to the Glauxian brothers' retreat, I can finish the great gray off." The snowy and the great horned owl show Rui a doubtful look with narrow eyes. "I already took care of the hagsfiend, but I don't know when she will wake, so hurry!"

Without waiting for an answer the barn owl took to the skies one more to face Lutta. The great gray owl let out a hoot of spite as she rushed her battle claws ready to fight Rui. Lutta swiped a claw at the barn owl, anger radiating off of her feathers.

Rui pulled up her own battle claws and lashed out in defense. The battle claws collided with each other, creating small sparks. The sparks were quickly put out by the freezing cold winds, leaving no trance that they were ever made.

Lutta suddenly dropped below Rui and began to fly away. _Is she retreating..?_ The barn owl asked herself. Her thought was suddenly cut short when she saw a yellow light surround her. Rui's wings suddenly felt very heavy and she began to panic. Her small wings locked in place; refusing to move when she tried to beat her wings. Before she began to plummet to the ground like Sol and Gulliver had everything became clear.

Lutta wasn't flying _away_, she was _turning_. The great gray owl made a huge curve and began to charge Rui, claws outstretched once again.

Lutta thrust her starboard battle claw into Rui's chest, watching the small droplets of blood fly past her metal clad talon.

Rui let out a loud, piercing screech. Her dark eyes stretched wide in disbelief as she stared down at the great gray's battle claw inside of her. The whole world seemed to slow down once Lutta yanked the curved claw from the delicate feathers of the barn owl, causing the wound to bleed even more as Rui fell toward the ground.

The barn owl stared up at the sky with a blank expression on her pale face. Rui was falling with her back to the ground – her wings were fairly close together like when she brought her wings down as she flew. She watched as the droplets of blood slowly left her horrible wound, falling slower than she.

Rui hit the ground, sliding a few inches before rolling onto her port wing. _It hurts so much…_ she thought as her eyes flickered; trying to stay open. The blood from her wound now flowed freely onto the inside of her port wing before slowly dripping out and staining the snow at an agonizingly slow rate.

Her vision blurred, but she still managed to make out the shape of two large hagsfiends make their way to her. They were watching her, waiting for something to happen; waiting for the barn owl to get back up and continue the fight.

Rui knew that she was at her limit – far beyond it. With great effort she opened her beak, barely enough to breathe from. She tried to say something to the victors, but as much as she tried she couldn't. The blizzard calmed down to a light snowfall, slowly and gently covering the two hagsfiends and one owl.

_It seems as if the whole world is trying to mock me…_ Rui thought, as she observed the snowfall. The excruciating pain that she felt through her whole body melted away and numbed her body. As much as she wanted to the barn owl couldn't fight the sleepy feeling that nagged at every feather of her being. Rui closed her eyes, and seemed to let out a sigh before everything fell into a never ending abyss of darkness.

"Aunt Kreeth… What do we do now..?" Lutta asked, as she stared at Rui's motionless body. She began to clean her battle claw off by digging it into the snow repeatedly.

"Return to the cave, _now._" The other owls that escaped know of our location. We need to come up with a way to take them down before the whole southern kingdom launches an attack on us.

"Yes aunt Kreeth…"

A pained screech reached the two remaining Guardians' ears as they flew on. Sol's concentration was torn from him as the cry echoed through the mountains. "Rui…" He murmured. His wings beats slowed so much that he barely kept himself airborne. Sol's once bright and lively eyes darkened.

Gulliver saw this and his gizzard seemed to twitch. The great horned owl slammed into his fellow Guardian with his starboard wing base, causing the snowy to stumble in his uneasy flight. "Don't do it!" he screeched, locking talons with him.

"Let me go, Gulliver! I'll rip those miserable excuses for an owl up for the vultures!" Sol hissed. His friend knew him too well; he knew that he would lose his temper and try to go back for Rui.

The two owls landed in a soft patch of snow, protecting their fall. Gulliver struggled, but he managed to hold Sol down with one of his battle claws. "You can't, you won't, and you will continue on! You know that we are doing this to save Jel, we can't afford to lose time and you by going back and getting ourselves killed!"

"Are you frinkin' insane? Rui is back there, probably being torn up by those two owls are you want to _continue?_" Sol shot back, glaring at his friend.

"I want to go back too, but we both know that we can't! Sprink on that hagsfiend and that great gray!" Gulliver hissed back. "There, are you happy? Now get off of your tail feathers and lead the way to the Glauxian brothers!" The great horned owl and the snowy had just used the two worst curse words an owl could utter, but neither of them felt a drop of guilt or regret.

Sol glared at his friend for a few more seconds before throwing him off. He let out a hiss and took to the skies, not saying a single word. He followed the star that would lead them to their destination.

Gulliver wilfed, but followed his friend without saying a word. He let out a heartbroken sigh as he stared out into the distance. _Is this really what Rui would want…? We will complete our mission, but… we will be one owl short…_

**Soooo….. What do you think of this chapter? More? Like I said before, reviews are always welcomed :3**


End file.
